Amusement device



Dc. 9, 1924. mmm@ M. WOLPEHT AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed oct. 1l, 1921 sheets-sheet 1 if E um" i 'il I IlII I Humm FIG. l.

m//ENTR wrmEssEs: Myer Woipri' Dean 9 1924.

Filed OCb. ll, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTQRJVEY WIWE @SES nec. 9, 1924. 1,518,288

M. WOLFERT AMUSEMENT DEVI CE Filed Oct. ll, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 TURNLX u Dec.9,1924. 1,518,288

M. WOLPERT AMUSEMENT DEVI CE Filed Oct. ll, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Flea-.124.

Hw" y W' MENTOR ./yer W0 Zperi" l I I QQ, By a l I ATTULNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AM'USEMENT DEVICE.

Appflication led October 11, 1921.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MEYER WoLrnRT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia l and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification. j

One object of my invention is to provide a device which will afford novel amusement and which will be particularly adapted for use in amusement parks; the construction being such that it can be ridden upon by persons, causing novel sensations to the rider.

Another object is to so construct my im? proved device that it will be safe and can be readily manufactured.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I

attain in the following manner, reference being had to the yaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevational view showing a device made in accordance with my present invention; certain of the parts being shown in section,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of said device with the main dome removed,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section illustrating certain of the parts of my.

invention,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation; certain of the parts being shown in section,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation, partly in section, showing certain of the features of my invention, and

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, 7 is a base or licor-above which extends a supporting pier 8. From the top of the pier 8 projects a center pivot post 9. A large turntable 10, which is made in the form of a platform, includes a hollow upright sleeve 11 through which the pivot post 9 extends. This sleeve 11 is secured to a stanchion socket 12; said socket being secured to the turntable 10. The top of the pier 8 has an annular groove 13l serving asa-race for roller bearings in theform of balls 14. The under surface` of the turntable 10 immediately surrounding the pivot post 9 has a wear plate 15 including a groove 16 oppositely disposed `the posts 28 extend.

Serial No. 507,102.

to the groove 13 and this groove 16 also serves as a race for the roller bearings 14. Thus the weight of the turntable is imposed upon the pier through the medium of the ball hearings 14. The turntable 10 at positions spaced apart annularly of the post f) has a number of bearings 17 through which are slidable upright sleeves 18. The sleeves 18 at a position below the turntable 10 have projections or pins 19 which extend through upright slots 2O in the hubs 21 of spur gear pinions 22. The upper ends of the hubs 2l have flanges 23 which engage the tops of ball bearings 24; said ball bearings rest-v ing on an inturned flange 25 of hangers 26; said hangers being secured to the under surface of the turntable 10. Thus the pinions and their hubs are free to rotate but longitudinal movement thereof is prevented and the pinions are therefore rotatably suspended from the bottoni` of the turntable. The pinions 22 mesh with the teeth of a large gear wheel 27 which is fixed to the pier 8.

Lifting posts 28 slidably fit within the sleeves 18; said posts extending to a position below the pinions 22 and having thereon wheels 29 adapted to run on the top un dulated surface 30 of a circular track 31: said track being mounted on the base 7 and surrounding the pier 8. The wheels 29 have inner flanges 32 for engagement with the inner surface 33 of the track 31.

The tops of the sleeves 18 have disks 34 secured thereto; said disks being arranged horizontally. The lifting posts 28 are reduced in diameter at positions below the disks 34 to produce shoulders 35; said disks having holes 36 therein allowing the reduced portions 37 of the posts 28 to project upwardly therethrough. Ball bearings 38 are interposed between the shoulders 35 and the lower surface of the disks 34 at a position surrounding` the reduced portion 37 of said posts 28. Bracket arms 39, which are secured to the central sleeve 11 and which extend radially therefrom, have bearings 40 through which the reduced portions 37 of The portions 37 of the posts 28 have enlarged portions such as balls 41 on their tops abovelthefbearings 40. A number of swinging seats 42 are connected by suspension bars43to each of the disks 34 by means of one-way swing joints 44. The tops of the disks 34 are covered by domes which have holes 46 therein for a. vpurpose hereinafter made obvious. It will be noted that the one-way swing joints 44 permit the swing seats 42 to swing radially with respect to the sleeves 18 but prevent movement of said swings in a transverse direction.

A number of legs 47 are secured to. and depend from the lower surface of the turntable 10 and at their bottoms have rollers 48 which run on the base 7 at a position outside 0f the track 31. rlhe under surface of the lturntable 10 has a ring` gear 49 with which meshes the pinion 50 on the shaft 51 ofanl electric motor 52 so that when the motor 52 is operated the turntable 10 will be rotated. rllhe bearings 40 which support and provide guideways for the upper portionsof the posts 28 are connected by transverse beams 53 and the top of the structure above the bracket arms 39 is covered with ademe 54 which may be made of any artistic shape.v

Intheuse'of the device, persons can sit in the swing seats 42 and during the rotationof the turntable 10 by the motor 52 the following` action will take place. The pinions 22 will be rotated due to the fact that they will walk around the large iiXed gear 27 and this action will impart rotation to the sleeves 18 and the disks 34 will be rotated and the swing` seats 42 will move around their respective sleeves and lifting posts.; The centrifugal action will cause the seats to swing outward from their respective sleeves 18 and the lifting posts will be raised due to the fact that the wheels 29 will run on the undulated surface 30 of the track 31. The vposts28 will lift the disks 34 owing to thefdisposition of the ball bearing 38 between the shoulders 35 and the under surfaces of the disks and the weight of the swings and connected parts will lower the posts andkeep them in engagement with the track. This raising and loweringmovementowing to the provision of the one-way swing joints will also change the positions ofthe swings and impart a force against the .centrifugal force so as to give a peculiar andnovel sensation of being moved at a slant to the horizontal or in the direction assumed by the suspension bars while held at an angle by the centrifugal force.

I preferably provide the seats with contact wheels 55 which are spaced apart and adapted to engage within a grooved contact wheel 56 secured on the adjacent sleeve A18 so .that the inward movement of the .swingsgwillbe limited to a position in which thefseats are approximately horizontal.

lhileI have described my invention as .taking aparticular form; it will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof; and hence l do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth; but consider that l am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention. what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i. Apparatus of the character described including a base; a turntable mounted for i rotation on said base; means for rotating said turntable; posts extending through said. turntable and having upper reduced ends and supporting shoulders; supporting means bearing on said shoulders and mounted to rotate around said posts and reduced ends; means for rotating said supporting means during rotation of said turntable; swings mounted upon said supportingI means and movable outwardly from said posts; and an undulating track upon which said posts travel for imparting an up and down movement to said swings; substantially as described.

Apparatus of the character described including a base; a turntable mounted for rotation on said base; means for rotatinr. said turntable; a sleeve extending through said turntable and having swings mounted thereon; a gear mounted beneath said turntable and splined to said sleeve; means for rotating said gear; a post mounted in said sleeve upon which said sleeve rotates; and means for imparting up and down movements to said post and sleeve and swings, substantially as described.

3. Apparatus of the character described including' a turntable; means for rotating:` said turntable; a fixed driving member; rotatable members carried by said turntable and driven by said fixed member; supporting means j ournalled in and extended above said turntable and rotated by said driven members; swings carried by said supporting means; posts on which said supporting means and swings are rotatably supported: and undulating tracks on which said posts travel to give said swings an up and down movement; substantially as described.

4. Apparatus of the character described including a turntable; means for rotating said turntable; a fixed gear; pinions iu mesh with said gear and carried, by said turntable; ui'iright sleeves slidably connected to said pinions; posts extending upward through said sleeve; swings supported by said sleeves; an undulated track; an d wheels on said posts in engagement with the undulated surface of said track; substantially as described.

5. Apparatus of the character described including a turntable; means for rotating said turntable; a fixed gear; hangers on said turntable; pinions inmesh with said fixed gear and having portions rotatably supported by said hangers; upright sleeves slidably keyed to said pinions; and swings carried by said sleeves; substantially as described.

6. Apparatus of the character described including a turntable; means for rotating said turntable; a fixed gear; hangers on said turntable; pinions in mesh with said fixed gear and having portions rotatably supported by said hangers; upright sleeves slidably keyed to said pinions; swings carried by said sleeves; posts extending through said sleeves; an undulated track; and means on said posts for engagement with the undulated surface of said track, said post being operative to effect raising and lowering movement of said sleeves; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MEYER WOLPERT.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH GARBE, CHAS. E. Po'rcrs. 

